A Dying Soul
by Genis Irving
Summary: Young sweet Mithos was but a fragment of a soul, doomed to fade back into its origin. However, it has one last chance, as it dies out, to finish some business... Shonen Ai (GenisXMithos, hints of LloydXGenis), Angst


**WARNING: Turn back now if you don't want Mithos's story spoiled! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

Title: A Dying Soul  
Fanfiction Of: Tales of Symphonia  
Author: Zelloss  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia is NOT MINE. Sigh I don't even own a copy of the game (So if I've made any mistakes, it's because I've only seen fragments of it – though I know a lot about the story, I'm probably missing a couple key details here and there)  
Warnings: Shonen-Ai here, people!  
Summary: Young sweet Mithos was but a fragment of a soul, doomed to fade back into its origin. However, it has one last chance, as it dies out, to finish some business... Shonen Ai (GenisXMithos, hints of LloydXGenis), Angst  
Spoilers: YES YES YES YES YES! Spoilers for much later in the game!

A/N: Okay, I know that Mithos Yggdrasil is our enemy! But I thought about the scenario and realised that obviously Yggdrasil had to become someone totally different to pull something like that, so yeah! Again, I apologise if the characters seem OOC to you, especially on the part of Yggdrasil (This is how I saw him, but I haven't seen much of him!).  
P.S.: Okay, first off, why don't I ever just make these Postscripts part of the Author's Note? Anyway, I know I'm the 'GenisXLloyd' fanboy – and there is a hint or two here - but I just wanna see the reader's opinions on these alternative pairings for the two darlings...  
P.P.S.: If I made any major, huge gaps in the story because of a key detail that wasn't explained here or something, PLEASE notify me despite all spoilers, I wanna get this story right! I wanted to write it from the moment I first saw Mithos but then things changed about him and I still wanted to write it!

--A Dying Soul--

What would you do if I told you that there are two Mithos Yggdrasil? You'd laugh, wouldn't you? What could I mean by 'two' Mithos Yggdrasil? As far as Lloyd and the others see it now, I'm fully and always their enemy. It wouldn't matter if I let young Mithos come out again, he'd only get shunned.

Yes, that's right. I am Mithos. The hero. The half-elven peacekeeper. The angel leader of Cruxis. The one who separated the two worlds. And yet I'm torn in two.

At one point, I wanted to fool Genis, Lloyd, Colette, and their companions. I wanted to gain their trust and learn things from them that I could use against them. That was how I was to defeat them.

However, I knew they were good at picking out traitors now that they had been betrayed and turned upon so many times. And if I got as close to them as I hoped to become, I knew that the slightest slip up would cause them to become suspicious. Then I would never learn what I needed.

So I created the other Mithos. I tore my soul in two and half became young Mithos. The young, gentle one, who was unaware of the presence of the real me, so that I could watch silently behind and then take back over when I needed to.

Mithos was too sweet for his own good. Nervous as hell, soft as a feather, and with a good heart. The idiot half of my soul once saved some mindless doll from being crushed underneath stone. An act I could no longer understand, and frankly, I never cared to ask about why.

Still, though, now that it was sealed up and slowly dying within me, becoming absorbed back to reform my whole soul, the young and gentle Mithos was crying and trying to get back out. Because it had been cut off, with something unfinished.

"Genis? Genis??"

Genis slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around. The voice was familiar... of course. How could he forget it?

"Where are you?" Genis growled, looking around.

"...Please, come here, Genis..." a soft whisper.

"Mithos, I know who you are, and I don't want to believe it, but you can't lure me so easily by..."

"...This is not Yggdrasil... I... please, Genis..."

Genis stopped to consider, and a moment later he had decided. He remained standing where he was, his hand going to the Kendama.

"You sound just like him..." Genis hissed. "What makes you so certain?"

"...I cannot say... I don't understand... Please, Genis, come here... please..."

Genis had to admit to himself that the sound of Mithos' voice was different... more memorable, more friendly. Still, the group's enemy had tricked him once before... but...

...Wait a second. Genis looked around. The group's watch was asleep. They had been left defenceless. So then if it was Yggdrasil trying to kill them, why didn't he strike while they were unguarded and open?

Hesitantly, Genis stepped into the bushes.

A gentle, soft, young-looking Mithos was sitting on a tree stump. There was care and softness in his eyes.

"...Mithos..."

"...Genis, I'm sorry... even I didn't know..."

"What are you saying?" Genis stepped towards the other half-elf, the Kendama at his side still ready for fighting if need be. He doubted it would do much against an angel, but it still gave him a bit of confidence.

"I... I was created, Genis... by the evil self that you're fighting... umm... I..." Mithos shifted nervously, uncertain of how to put his words. "I was created to trick you all, and I didn't even know it... and that's why I could..."

"Why did you come back? How do I know you won't just turn into Yggdrasil the moment I move another step closer to you?" Genis asked, not moving.

Mithos looked at the ground. "...I know it's hard, Genis, but... from one half-elf to another... please... I... please, just trust me."

Genis blinked, stepping slowly over to Mithos, and then finally sitting beside the blonde. "...It's really you?"

"Yes... it's really Mithos, your friend..." Mithos smiled faintly.

Genis smiled, but it quickly faded when he saw that Mithos was frowning slightly, and a good look into his eyes revealed that there was some deep suffering in them.

"...Mithos..."

"Genis, I'm sorry... if I hurt you, if I broke your trust, but I didn't want to, honest! I know there are two sides to me..." Mithos whimpered, putting his hand on Genis's hand, looking over at him. "I... I want you to forgive me?"

"Huh?" Genis blinked.

"Listen... I know... The soul of the evil Mithos is slowly regaining power, since I don't need to exist anymore... Genis, I'm going to fade out and die..."

"No!" Genis jumped, looking worriedly at his same-blooded friend. "Mithos, you..."

"It's true, I know... I don't think I'll survive for much longer at all... I was lucky, something made him pity me and let me do this... there's something I want to do before I go."

"Mithos, stop talking like that" Genis grabbed his friends shoulders, and Mithos blushed a bit, looking down at the ground and at his lap. Genis turned his friend, and with one hand forced Mithos to look at him. "You'll find a way to survive. And then when we beat Yggdrasil, I'll find a way to kill him but leave you, and then you will survive..."

"Unless you can defeat him tonight, Genis..." Mithos shook his head. "I... In only a couple hours, I will be gone."

"No! Mithos, you can't..." Genis whimpered a bit. "I know who you really are, but... I... you... just can't! You're my friend!"

Mithos lowered his eyes, ashamed, feeling bad for hurting Genis like this. "I'm sorry, but... I know this must be hurting you, but... there's something... I really wanted to do..."

"...What?" Genis asked, softly, and Mithos' eyes raised to look into Genis'. The two young boys stared at each other.

"...I want... to tell you something, Genis" Mithos whispered.

"Yeah?"

"...I love you, Genis" Mithos wrapped his arms around Genis' shoulders, and the young violet-haired boy let out a soft gasp of surprise, as Mithos kissed him.

Genis felt odd, because he knew the body that he was kissing was that of his greatest enemy (he was now 'sleeping with the enemy', or something like that, according to novels he had once read). Did this make him a traitor? It felt horribly wrong. Not to mention that it was a guy kissing him.

But there was something about Mithos' kiss that made Genis not fight back. Something that touched Genis' heart deeply and almost made him want to cry.

Mithos loved him. The young child Mithos actually, truly, absolutely cared for him. Something nobody else he knew felt for him. And that mattered more to Genis than all his doubts. It mattered a lot to poor, young Genis, who had never been loved by any except his sister (and that was only fraternal love).

Genis' lips slowly opened up, and he practically fell into Mithos' embrace, letting himself just enjoy the kiss and the feel, before the two boys broke away.

"...Mithos... I... wow..." Genis stuttered out quite dimly, unlike his normal attitude. He was stunned out of his wits.

"...Genis, I'm sorry for having betrayed you... please, can you forgive me?"

"Mithos, I want you to promise me something" Genis said.

"...What?" Mithos blinked.

"I will forgive you, but on one condition. That you stay alive, that at least a fragment of your soul remains. In return, I promise to defeat Yggdrasil and try as hard as I can to find a way to bring you back."

"...Genis... you'd... do that for me?" Mithos looked at him, tears in his eyes.

Genis nodded, though he knew it would be an impossible promise to keep. Still, he had to try.

"Then I promise."

"As do I. ...And I forgive you, Mithos, for doing nothing wrong."

Mithos smiled weakly, his face slightly trembling, as the tears began to flow. Genis wrapped two arms around the boy and held him close, as he sobbed gently.

Genis gently tried to comfort Mithos, but knew the situation was hopeless. And he also knew that Mithos would leave any time. He just wanted to memorise Mithos, never forget what the boy looked like...

"...Genis..." Mithos finally pushed himself away from Genis, standing up. "...I have to go now..."

Genis stood up hastily, acting on some unknown instinct, and practically threw himself on Mithos, wrapping his arms around the other half-elf's neck and kissing him deeply.

Mithos whimpered softly, as the two shared a kiss that lasted for all eternity. By the time they broke away, tears were also forming in Genis' eyes.

"...I... I have to leave..." Mithos stepped back, prism wings sprouting from his back, as he began to float. "I have to go far away, because if I don't, then you'll be in danger..."

"Mithos! Please... d-don't..." Genis whimpered softly. "I don't want you to go!"

"I don't wanna go either, please... don't make this harder than it already is..." Mithos whimpered, tears still falling from his eyes. It was taking all of his willpower to separate himself from Genis.

"Mithos... I..."

"...Goodbye... Genis... I love you. Never forget that"

And then before Genis could say anything more and make Mithos stay, the half-elf tore into the sky, flying away to only he-knew-where.

A single teardrop fell from the sky as he left, landing gently upon the Fairy Ring that Genis had been wearing on his hands.

The teardrop seemed to merge with the ring.

"...This is how I will bring you back then, someday..." Genis held onto the ring. "Mithos... goodbye... and I will not forget..."

"Genis? Genis?"

Lloyd's voice caught Genis off guard, and the boy stumbled a bit, trying to wipe away his tears quickly, but Lloyd had already walked into view and seen.

"Genis, what are you doing out here? ...Did I hear you crying?" Lloyd looked concerned. Genis looked down at the ground, ashamed, tears still in his eyes.

"...I... um... Lloyd, we have to kill Yggdrasil. We _have_ to" Genis whispered furiously, looking at Lloyd, determination across his face.

"...Genis, what's got into you, all of a sudden?" Lloyd blinked.

"Lloyd... oh..." and then the seriousness of his face shattered and the tears flowed freely. He whimpered and fell to his knees, and Lloyd knelt down beside him, pulling the boy towards him, and gently rubbing his shoulders as Genis cried his heart out.

"... Why... Why did you allow me to do that?"

"Because you are me. Your emotion... intrigues me. It is a shame I am enemies with that boy, if a part of my soul loves him."

"... You... please, do not hurt Genis."

"I will have to, if he intends to kill me."

"...Then please, allow me to live. Kill me only if you kill him... I want to be able to return to Genis in the end..."

"...I shall consider it."

A/N: Open for a sequel, ne? And I MIGHT consider it too! Depends on the reader response, so, like REVIEW IT!


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